Coming off Florida State’s disastrous 2024 season, Mike Norvell hired Herb Hand as his offensive line coach and overhauled the entire group up front, bringing in five new starters through the transfer portal. The line took a major step forward, but the only problem was that all five were in their final season of eligibility.
So, once again this offseason, Norvell, Hand, and now first-year general manager John Garrett had to reload in the trenches. They added five linemen from the portal, and four are expected to start, with rising senior Andre Otto the presumptive starter at left guard.
Otto’s hold on the left guard spot means there will be an odd man out between incoming transfers, and with Xavier Chaplin locked in at left tackle, Bradyn Welch-Joiner slated to start at center, and Nate Pabst and Chimdia Nwaiwu possibilities at right guard and right tackle, all signs pointed to Troy transfer Paul Bowling.
Paul Bowling could force a late camp O-line reshuffle for Herb Hand
Fall camp, however, is when those depth chart decisions get finalized, and the way Mike Norvell is talking about Bowling, he may have thrown a wrench in those plans.
Speaking about the O-line shuffle after practice on Monday, Norvell told reporters that it’s “about finding the best five,” explaining that it may vary with different situations and change throughout the season. When asked about the young guys pushing for playing time, Bowling, a true sophomore with 682 snaps under his belt, was the first name out of his mouth.
Nearly all of those 682 snaps last season came at center, but Bowling moved to left guard for the final two games of the year. He allowed just 16 pressures all season and only one sack. And while it came at a lower level, his experience seems to be giving him an edge over FSU’s other young offensive linemen, and potentially even over Pabst or Otto at guard.
When Bowling arrived as a true sophomore, with Nwaiwu and Pabst in their senior years, it made sense to project him as more of a depth piece for this year and a potential long-term starter on the interior. But if he’s ready now, Norvell and Hand need to put him on the field, and that will make for an interesting right tackle battle through the final stretch of fall camp.
Nate Pabst and Chimdia Nwaiwu may be forced to duel over right tackle snaps
Florida State began its preparation for New Mexico State, its Week 0 opponent, on Monday. That’s how close the season-opener at Doak Campbell Stadium on August 29 is. Yet, it doesn’t sound like the offensive line is settled, and it may not be until Week 1, when SMU comes to town.
The Seminoles have enough talent to handle New Mexico State while shuffling things around up front, so Hand can work a few different combinations in game action to evaluate them. However, he shouldn’t consider a full-scale reshuffling. From center to left appears set with Welch-Joiner, Otto, and Chaplin. That group shouldn’t be touched.
On the right side, though, Pabst has versatility to play either guard or tackle, so Hand should give all three permutations a shot: Bowling and Pabst, Bowling and Nwaiwu, and Pabst and Nwaiwu.
But if Bowling is playing as well as Norvell seems to indicate, then it’ll ultimately come down to whether Pabst or Nwaiwu is better at right tackle. That will be a critical battle to monitor right up until Week 1, when the Mustangs make the trip to Tallahassee.
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